


On The Ropes

by giiovz



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball
Genre: Crossover Pairings, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 06:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4909252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/giiovz/pseuds/giiovz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minako Aino writes for the fashion column of the local newspaper. Her boss said no one cares about that topic anymore and asks her to get an exclusive interview with Raditz, an up and coming boxer who continuously refuses to reveal any information about his personal life. Will Mina get the interview or will she be forced to lose her job?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! How are you all doing?
> 
> I'm kind of new here and this is my first time posting a story in English, so I apologize in advance for any grammatical errors you might find in this story. I'm truly sorry, but English is my second language... So yeah, I'm a little nervous about the whole thing but shironek0 drew an amazing cover for my story and I just couldn't help myself and decided to post the English version of it.  
> I really hope you guys like it!
> 
> By the way. here's the link to the drawing in case anyone is interested:  
> http://shironek0.deviantart.com/art/ON-THE-ROPES-562958913

-“Mina, please come to my office” – her boss, Jeff, called her.

Minako was a beautiful young girl with average height, long golden hair and big cerulean eyes as bright as the sky.

She walked in wearing a short dress in a soft shade of yellow with a light blue sweater on top of it, which really accentuated her body. -“Is something wrong?”- she asked, stopping at the frame of the door.

Jeff forced a small smile and gestured for her to take a seat –“you’ve proved to be one of our best writers” –he said while setting aside the document he was reading –“your last articles have been very good, but” –he grabbed the coffee cup in front of him –“I need someone with new ideas. People no longer care about the problems in our country, or the latest fashion trend, you know?” –he asked, taking a small drink of his cold coffee.

The blonde nodded then, trying to understand where he was heading to with his question.

Her boss made a disgusted face at the bitter taste of his coffee, and threw it away on the trash can next to his desk –“I need someone to write an article about him” –he said, handing her a folder –“he’s the new big thing right now and everyone’s dying to find out everything there is to know about him”.

Mina held the folder, a confused look on her face once she found what was inside. There was only a picture of a man in front of a weird looking gym, his arms crossed and a serious look on his face, along with a piece of paper with an address and a name –“you’re kidding, right?”- she asked looking up at her boss –“you want me to do an interview?” –she snorted.

-“I wouldn’t call it that” –Jeff said with a shrug, focusing his attention on the documents on his desk once again –“I just need an article about him; the problems he faced to become a well-known boxer, and, you know, all those things everyone wants to know about him”.

The blonde couldn’t help but stare at the folder she held in her hands –“you’re asking me to write for the Sports Column?” –she laughed nervously. After all, she didn’t know anything about sports!

-“That’s not what I’m doing” –Jeff shook his head, looking up at her from the documents he was reading –“but if you get this story, you might make it to the front page” –he paused, noticing the sudden interest in the girl’s face –“of course that will be up to you” –he added, resting his back against the leather chair.

-“Are you serious?” –she whispered, unable to believe she was finally getting her big opportunity. The one she thought she would never get.

-“Of course” –he smiled –“Violet is leaving us soon and I think this is the perfect time to start looking for someone to replace her”.

-“Wait, Violet is leaving?” –her eyes widened in disbelief; Violet Jones was, without a doubt, the best writer in town and, secretly, the reason why Mina kept working there.

Jeff chuckled a little –“she’s pregnant” –he smiled, placing a finger on his lips to signal her it was still a secret –“she hasn’t told anyone else yet. I barely found out a few days ago, and she decided to stay at home and enjoy being a mom”.

-“Oh, wow” –she said –“I’m happy for her. And don’t worry, I won’t say a thing” –she smiled, turning her attention to the picture inside the folder once again –“alright then, what do I need to know about him?” –she finally asked.

-“His name is Raditz” –Jeff stated –“nobody really knows a thing about him, other than the notorious fame he gained since he stepped on the ring” –he suddenly stopped talking and leaned forward a little towards the girl –“no one has been able to get this story, Mina”.

The girl gulped nervously. So this was going to be a test, then?

-“Think you can do it?” –Jeff asked as serious as she’d ever seen him.

Mina nodded slowly –“I’ll do whatever it takes” –she smiled.

-“Excellent” –he said, visibly relaxing –“I expect a continuous report once you get the story. The address is in the folder” –he turned his attention to his documents once again.

The blonde got up from her seat then, feeling a little irritated, and she walked to the door.

-“Mina” –Jeff’s voice stopped her –“this story could be a big hit for your career” –he said –“I want you to keep that in mind when you’re writing it”.

She nodded again angrily, hurrying up to get out of that office as soon as possible.

##########

-‘The fuck do I know about sports?’- she asked herself frantically while throwing the new folder on top of her desk and violently grabbing her chair so she could sit down.

She took a deep breath then, allowing herself to calm down and think this through.

The folder was in her hands one more time and she took a peek inside of it. The guy in the picture looked younger than she was expecting, so she wondered if it was an old picture. She couldn’t help but feel a little curious about his long hair; it seemed almost as long as her friend Usagi’s hair was!

-‘This won’t be easy at all’- she told herself with an annoyed sigh. Why couldn’t she just keep writing for her fashion column?

She closed the folder and forced it inside her big bag.

–‘Better get this started’- she thought while getting the rest of her stuff in her bag. She was definitely not ready for this, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be.

Mina left the building then, and walked a couple blocks to get to the parking lot; genuinely thankful for the first time for borrowing Mal’s car that morning.

##########

She checked the address inside of the folder one more time, just to make sure she was at the right place, and then forced the piece of paper inside her bag aggressively before entering the gym slowly.

It had been a while since the last time she felt so out of place, like she did right there.

-“Good evening, can I help you?”- asked a young dark haired boy behind the entrance counter.

-“Hello” –the blonde smiled nervously –“I work for the Orange Times and–” –she showed him her Press ID.

-“You’re a reporter?” –interrupted the guy –“but you look so young”.

The blonde faked a smile at that –“yeah” –she said, ignoring his words –“I’m actually looking for” –she paused looking at her phone screen –“for Raditz”.

-“Of course” –the guy nodded –“he’s actually training right now, but I could show you around if you want” –he smiled widely, making the girl notice for the first time the scar on his cheek.

-“I’d appreciate that” –she said.

He pointed in the direction of the ring once they started heading towards it, while shamelessly and carefully checking her out.

She clenched her jaw annoyingly at the way his eyes were traveling all over her body, allowing herself a moment to count to ten before losing her temper.

-“So, why do you need to see him?” –he asked casually.

-“I’m sorry” –she paused and looked at his name tag –“Yamcha?” –once the guy nodded, she continued –“I’m here as a Professional and I’m afraid I can’t discuss it with anyone” –she faked another smile, slightly furrowing her brows.

Yamcha pressed his lips in annoyance and kept walking –“over there” –he stated indifferently, pointing at the ring where two boxers were training –“is there anything else you need?”.

-“That will be all, thanks a lot” –she said before turning around and hurrying her way to the ring.

As she was getting closer, that Raditz guy was really starting to beat up the other boxer on the ring. She might not know much about this sport, but she could definitely tell Raditz was giving his partner a run for his money. And she couldn’t help but feel impressed by his agility, and the strength of his movements. No wonder why he was expected to be the next big thing!

-“Can I help you?” –asked a voice behind her.

The reporter turned around to find a handsome man with spikey dark hair and a joyful smile on his lips –“hello” –was all she said.

-“Hi, can I help you?” –the stranger insisted, and Mina noticed the logo of the gym on his polo shirt.

-“Sure” –she said digging in her bag –“I’m looking for Raditz” –she flashed him her Press ID card –“I work for the Orange Ti–”.

-“I’m sorry” –the guy abruptly interrupted her –“Raditz is really busy right now, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to see you” –he smiled, while nervously moving his hand to the back of his neck.

-“I could wait” – she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

-“No, that won’t be necessary” – the guy signaled her to follow him, trying to get her away from the ring as soon as possible.

Raditz threw a final punch then, effectively ending with the training, and he searched for his brother with his eyes.

-“Hold on. Are you kicking me out?” –she furrowed her brows while annoyingly crossing her arms.

-“N–no, of course not” – he laughed nervously –“but this isn’t a good time, why don’t you come back later?”.

The reporter was about to say something when a deep voice startled them both.

-“Goku” –called the voice –“mind helping me once you’re– ”

-“Hello, Raditz” –now was the girl’s turn to interrupt him while walking towards the ring –“I work for the Orange Times, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions for an article I’m writing” –she stated seriously, not even worrying about her ID card. No one here seemed to care about it anyways!

The boxer glared at the blonde and then furrowed his brows –“forget it” –was his response, while leaning on the ropes –“I don’t do interviews” – he added angrily.

-“It’ll just be a few questi–”.

-“Are you deaf?” –he snarled, interrupting her.

-“Very well” - Mina felt her blood boil instantly, and she turned around to leave that disgust place as soon as possible.

-‘What a conceited piece of shit’ –she thought as she walked back to her car.

No wonder why Jeff insisted on this stupid interview –‘this goddamned Raditz guy was truly an insufferable, rude son of a–’ –she stopped her thoughts as realization hit her.

-‘Maybe that’s why he did it!’ –said the tiny voice inside her head. What if this was Jeff’s way of telling her she wasn’t going to make it? Maybe she was going to lose her job soon!

She sat on the driver’s side of the car, and violently shut the door as she threw her bag on the seat next to her; without realizing that the folder and a few other things fell on the floor.

Mina hit the wheel repeatedly with both hands. –“Goddammit!” – she clenched her teeth.

She took a deep breath then, and turned to her side to get the keys out of her bag. That was when she realized the mess she had all over the floor.

She picked up the notes Jeff gave her and the picture of the jerk she had to interview, inexplicably feeling the sudden urge to tear the picture into tiny pieces, only to throw it on the floor of the car once again.

She took another deep breath then, before pulling the visor down so she could look at herself in the mirror. She undid her ponytail in a flash, and brushed her hair with both hands to add a little volume, before she looked at her reflection in the mirror once again.

-‘You got this, Mina, you really do’ –she told herself, immediately jumping out of the car and walking back to the gym.

-“Back so soon?” – asked the guy in the front counter, with that stupid smile on his lips.

Minako rolled her eyes irritably and kept walking without even looking at him. She was determined to get this interview, and no one was going to stop her!

-“Wait, what are you–” –the guy started following her then –“whoa, wait, you can’t go there!” – he shouted in a failed attempt to stop her.

Ignoring the surprised stares, and a few disgusting ones, she walked straight into the guy’s locker room like she owned the place until she finally found Raditz talking to another guy; she glimpsed at his damp hair, and the way it covered most of his bare back and bit the inside of her lip as her eyes traveled down a little more.

-“Something wrong?” –Raditz asked the guy next to him, once he noticed how his face was suddenly getting pale. And when he turned around to face the entrance, he saw the blonde girl standing right in front of him –“WHAT THE–!?” –he groaned annoyingly, quickly grabbing a towel to cover himself.

-“Oh don’t be embarrassed, most men have that _little_ problem” –she smiled mischievously.

-“Goddammit, woman!” –he scowled –“get the fuck out of here!” –he pointed at the door.

-“I won’t go until you answer my questions” –she looked up at him defiantly –“I won’t take a no for an answer” –she added crossing her arms, a slight blush creeping on her cheeks once she realized everyone in the room was naked but her. And it was definitely getting a bit hot in there!

Raditz closed his eyes angrily and rubbed his forehead with frustration –“you’re fucking crazy” – he finally said, then pointed at the door again –“Fine. Now get the fuck out of here!”.

-“Alright, alright, I’m leaving” –she smiled kindly, winking at the guy sitting behind Raditz as she slowly made her way out of the lockers.

##########

Minako was sitting on a bench outside the gym, smiling proudly at what was possibly the craziest idea she’d ever had.

She was convinced that Jeff was going to be surprised by how fast she managed to get the interview. Although it was probably safe to avoid giving him the long, detailed explanation of how she did it.

Her cheeks blushed a little at that. What was she thinking!? She just walked in the guy’s locker room like it was no big deal! And there certainly were a few _big things_.

Both her hands were covering her cheeks as she tried to recover from the embarrassing situation. If someone were to tell her that one day she would have to stalk a man inside a locker room just so she could keep her job, she probably wouldn’t believe it. Because, seriously, that was just something Minako Aino would _never_ do.

-‘But when something as important as your job is on the line, sometimes you gotta be a little reckless’- said the voice inside her head, convincing her that she made the right decision.

When Raditz walked out of the gym, the blonde stood up from where she was sitting to walk towards him.

That was when he got a closer look of her. She wasn’t so hard on the eyes, and he appreciated the way that dress she was wearing barely covered anything.

Mina furrowed her brows once she stopped in front of him –“is something wrong?” –she asked, slightly confused by the way he was looking at her. _Was he checking her out?_

-“Nothing. Come on, let’s make this interview as quick as possible” –he said while zipping up his jacket –“I hate staying in the Bronx longer than I have to”.

-“We all feel like that” –she smiled, taking out her note pad –“where are you from?” –she asked casually –“oh, and if you don’t mind, could you tell me about your childhood and why you decided to be a boxer?” –she added, while biting her pen.

Raditz chuckled as he slid his hands inside his pockets –“why don’t we talk about this over dinner?” –he asked –“I know a good place down the block”.

She gave him a disapproving look and crossed her arms in annoyance –“sorry, not interested in a date. Besides, I already have a boyfriend”.

-“Listen, blondie, don’t flatter yourself! I wasn’t asking you out. It’s fucking cold out here and that sweater you’re wearing is clearly not covering anything, so I thought it would be better if we could sit down in a nice place while you ask me all your damned questions” – he groaned, realizing that he may have worded it the wrong way.

Mina clenched her teeth angrily at that. This was really going to be a long night. –“My name is Minako, you idiot”.

-“And I’m supposed to care?” – he raised an eyebrow –“well, you wanna freeze out here or wanna join me at the restaurant?” – he pointed in that direction.

The young reporter grunted furiously, reluctantly starting to walk in the direction of the restaurant while the boxer smirked as he followed her.

##########

They sat on a booth and as soon as they got the menu, Mina was the first to order –“just coffee for me”.

Raditz lifted a brow –“sure, go ahead, order whatever you want” –he said sarcastically, then turned to their waitress to order something –“coffee for me too, and an order of your best pancakes”.

Mina took out her note pad again, and set her phone on the table. She was slowly getting ready to begin with the interview, when she was suddenly interrupted.

-“I was born in New Jersey, but I grew up in Staten Island” –he began –“then we moved to the East side of Queens when I was about 6” –he paused, remembering a few things from his childhood –“we didn’t had much, but we weren’t poor neither” –he smiled bitterly –“but we never had to worry about anyone breaking in or trying to hurt us” –he chuckled lightly –“not after that time when someone broke into our house in the middle of the night and my dad nearly killed him” –he smiled again –“my father was a very strong man back then”.

His food arrived then, forcing him to stop talking for a moment.

Mina was finishing up her notes when she looked up to the guy sitting in front of her and couldn’t help but feel disgusted by the way he was eating. It was almost as fast as he was punching that guy on the ring earlier. –“I thought this was going to be an interview, not a live showing of the Animal Planet” –she rolled her eyes, and quickly stood up from her seat once she checked the time on her phone –“shit, I gotta go!” –she said, grabbing her belongings –“I’ll be back tomorrow to finish up the story” –she warned, pointing at him.

Raditz didn’t said anything and just took the phone from her hand and saved his phone number in it –“I’m available any time after 2 pm” –he grinned, and then turned his attention to the food on his plate –“I get up every day at 5 in the morning. Call me before 7 and tell me where you wanna meet” –he finished, sticking a big piece of pancake in his mouth.

Mina felt a slight blush creep on her cheeks and she nodded awkwardly as she hurried out before anything else could happen.

She got in her car and drove back home, unable to get him out of her head. Especially after the way he smiled at her when he saved his phone number on her phone.

-‘Goddammit with that Raditz guy, and his stupid and seductive smile’- she thought to herself as she parked the car. She knew she was going to keep thinking about him for the next few hours, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

She got on the elevator then, ready to finally get home and relax. Although Mal was probably going to interrupt her, like he always did when she was feeling exhausted.

Their relationship was going really well, and he barely moved in with her a few months ago. It wasn’t the best decision she ever made, but they had been going out for a couple years so this was her way of figuring out if it was going to work or not.

She opened the door to her apartment; feeling extremely tired and telling herself how much she needed a glass of wine.

-“Mina. Hi” –said Malachite stepping out of their bedroom, with his underwear inside out –“you’re home early, babe”.

That suddenly got her attention. She faced him and took in the way he looked, immediately clenching her teeth –“you motherfucker” –she groaned, hurrying into the bedroom. She was surprised when she didn’t see anyone there –“oh, I thought–” –but then she heard a sneeze coming from the bathroom, making her blood boil over.

-“Baby, wait” –said the man with the long, silver hair attempting to stop her when she started stomping towards the bathroom.

Once she swung the door open, she found a very young and pretty brunette with big, round green eyes staring at her. Without even stopping to think it over, Mina violently grabbed the girl by the hair and dragged her out of the bathroom –“I can’t believe you did it again, Mal!” –she groaned, shoving the girl into his arms –“get the fuck out of here, now! I want you out!” –she yelled.

-“Come on, babe, calm down” –said the man, putting on his clothes –“don’t be irrational, we should talk about it and–”.

-“There’s nothing to talk about, Mal. We’re done this time; now get the fuck out!” –she yelled, pointing at the door.

-“You'll be back. You always come back to me, Minako, just wait” –said the man, grabbing the brunette’s hand –“come on, babe, let’s get out of here”.

But the young girl pulled her hand away from him and slapped him as hard as she could –“you’re a fucking pig!” –she groaned.

The man rolled his eyes annoyingly and quickly walked out of the apartment.

The young brunette awkwardly picked up her clothes with tears in her eyes –“the bastard told me you were his sister” –she clenched her jaw –“he said he was only staying here for a while and then–” –she sniffled, and shook her head as she made her way out.

-“This wasn’t your fault” –the words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.

-“It wasn’t yours neither” –said the young brunette with a small smile, as she put on her jacket.

-“What’s your name?” – asked Mina, immediately regretting opening her mouth again.

-“Lya”.

-“How old are you, Lya?” – she casually asked, holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

##########

The hours flew by so fast, neither of them realizing it, and when Lya finally left it was almost 4 in the morning. Apparently she wasn’t the only one that needed that glass of wine!

She looked at the time on her phone screen as she sat on her couch, suddenly reminding herself she had to call Raditz in about an hour.

Mina shrugged and rolled her eyes, carefully placing her phone next to her.

-‘Well, I guess I’m not going to bed yet’- she sighed while grabbing the remote control to turn the television on.

##########

The following morning, Raditz turned off his alarm at exactly 5 am, like he always did. And he checked his phone to find a missed called from an unknown number.

-‘I told her 5 o’clock’ –he rolled his eyes in annoyance and clicked the button on the screen to call her back.

-“Hello, Minako Aino speaking” –said a soft voice on the other side of the line.

-“You sound better over the phone than you do in person” –he smirked –“it’s almost like you’re a different person” –he teased.

-“Can you please not do that? I’m really not in the mood” –she said with a yawn.

-“Don’t tell me, you were up all night waiting for the right time to call me” –he chuckled teasingly.

The blonde huffed –“of course not, but my stupid boyfriend decided to –” –she paused –“why am I explaining myself?” –she sighed angrily –“listen, can we meet somewhere near Times Square?” –she asked, walking to the kitchen.

-“It’s gonna be a cold day, why don’t you come over to my place?” –he asked casually, immediately hitting his forehead with his hand regretting the way he said it. The blonde rolled her eyes in annoyance

–“I’m really not in the mood” –she said –“I just got out of a fucking relationship and I’m really not interested in another one”.

-“Really? What happened to your awesome boyfriend?” –he teased, without realizing that he was suddenly smiling as he walked to the kitchen.

-“That’s really none of your business” –she said.

-“You’re right” –he paused –“tell you what, why don’t you come over later and, I don’t know, we play 20 questions?” –he stopped in front of the fridge –“and before you say anything, that’s the only way you’ll get your interview” –he smirked.

There was dead silence on the other end of the line until, suddenly, there was a small groan, which Raditz found hilarious –“that’s cheating, you’re not being fair at all!”.

The boxer only laughed and patiently waited for her answer.

-“Fine, fine, what’s your address?” –she finally asked.


	2. Chapter 2

Minako arrived at the address the boxer gave her, feeling incredibly nervous for the first time in a long time. But knowing she brought along the small knife her friend Rei gave her a few years ago, made her feel a little safe.

She took a deep breath and finally knocked on the door.

The door was opened a few moments later, revealing a tall, handsome, dark haired man behind it. –“Hey there” –he smirked and moved to the side so the girl could walk in.

-“Alright, let’s get this over with” -said the reporter once she was inside the apartment, quickly taking off her jacket and hanging it on the coat hook next to the door. –“So….” –but she was suddenly interrupted.

-“Hold on, we need to set the rules first” –he raised both hands in front of his chest and couldn’t help but smile a little when the girl rolled her eyes in annoyance –“every time I ask you a question, you have to give me a straight and honest answer. The same goes for me, I’ll do the same. However, if you give me a bullshit answer, you’ll lose a question” –he held his hand out, waiting for the girl to shake it in agreement. But before she could do it, he moved his hand away –“I almost forgot”–he added–“you can’t ask more than one question at a time or two in a row”.

Mina rolled her eyes again –“sure, I guess that’ll be fair” –she shook his hand then, agreeing on the rules of their new game –“I’ll go first” –she said, quickly getting her small note pad from her bag –“when were you born?”.

-“August 12th, 1990” –he said, allowing himself some time to think about what to ask. –“What happened to your _wonderful_ boyfriend?” –he finally asked, raising a brow and smiling teasingly.

The blonde girl sighed while staring at the floor –“I broke up with him because he cheated again” –she paused –“I really wanted to make sure that was the last time”.

There was an awkward silence for the next few minutes.

But when Raditz noticed the hurtful look in her eyes, he immediately regretted asking that question. –“I’m sorry”- he finally said, a part of him feeling hopeful that maybe, just maybe, this meant he might have a shot. –“It’s your turn” –he added, slowly walking towards the kitchen.

Mina followed him, and stopped herself in front of the kitchen table and looked around trying to think of a question. –“Why did you become a boxer?”.

-“When I was a kid I watched a video of one of Muhammad Ali’s fights, and I knew that was what I wanted to do” –he said nonchalantly while taking a bottle from one of the kitchen cabinets and fixing a drink for both of them.

-“You seriously drink this early?” –she gave him a disapproving look.

Raditz smirked victoriously –“two questions in a row, you just lost one question” –he offered her one of the glasses –“okay, when were you born?”.

-“October 22nd, 1992” –she said indifferently, taking a small sip of her drink –“next question” –she placed the glass on the table, and moved the high chair a little so she could sit down.

The boxer was silent for a moment, watching closely as she sat down –“why did you wanted to be a reporter?” –he asked, crossing his arms and resting them on top of the table, directly in front of the girl.

-“I don’t know” –she laughed nervously –“I’ve always loved writing” –she added, slightly shrugging her shoulders when Raditz raised an eyebrow –“I’m being serious. I never really had an inspiration or anything like that, I just really love writing and I enjoy it a lot” –she sighed –“I guess you could say it’s my way of escaping reality” –she laughed and shrugged her shoulders again. –“My turn now” –she grabbed her glass and moved it close to her lips –“why do you have that tattoo?” –she pointed at the small bird on his forearm.

Raditz looked at his tattoo then, it almost seemed like it was the first time he’d seen it in years –“my mother loved them” –he said, tracing the ink with the tip of his fingers –“I got it in her honor on one of her birthdays” –he remained silent for a few moments, before speaking again –“where are you from?”.

-“I was born in Japan” –she smiled half-heartedly –“my dad was in the military when he met my mom” –she sighed –“I was 2 years old when he died” –she added while tying her hair in a loose ponytail –“was it hard getting where you are now?”.

-“Of course it was” –he chuckled –“I talked my dad into letting me join a boxing club when I was 9 years old. I won all my fights, but no one cared about me until the night I fought Joey Santini” –he paused, slightly smiling as he recalled the event –“I thought I wasn’t gonna make it, but I destroyed him at the end of the third round” –he finished, staring into the air deeply lost in thought as his smile widened a little more.

Mina couldn’t help but join in, and smiled –“you really love what you do, don’t you?” –she asked, immediately hitting her forehead with both hands in annoyance –“yeah, yeah, I lost another question” –she said before Raditz could remind her, and she moved a little in her chair to find a more comfortable position and then crossed her legs.

He watched her attentively, that small smirk still on his lips, and he leaned forward a little –“how did a girl _like you_ ended up writing for a Sports column?” –he finally asked, staring into her eyes.

She snorted and drank half the content of her drink –“no one cares about fashion trends anymore, and my boss asked me to write about the _**biggest hit**_ right now” –she rolled her eyes –“the mysterious boxer everyone seems to be talking about” –she added sarcastically.

Raditz nodded slightly, gazing at her beauty, while carefully considering his next question. –“Go out with me” –he smiled nervously.

The reported furrowed her brows then –“that’s not a question” –she teased.

-“Fine” –he pushed himself away from the table, taking the glass with him–“would you go out with me?” –he asked, setting the empty glass on the kitchen sink. Turning around to face her and resting his back against the sink to wait for her answer.

Her eyes travelled up and down his body, carefully sizing him up. Sure, he was very attractive and his body was to die for. She was still curious about his long hair, which was definitely eye-catching, and apart from being an arrogant asshole, he could probably be entertaining... So, sure, why not? –“Yeah” –she nodded shyly –“I’ll go out with you” –she bit the inside of her lip as her eyes travelled down his god-like body one more time.

Raditz visibly relaxed at that, and he was about to say something when the girl’s phone suddenly went off.

-“Ugh”- she gave an annoyed sighed looking at her phone screen. She pushed a button to dismiss the call, and then noticed the time –“oh shit, I gotta go”- she grabbed all her stuff and shove it in her bag –“I’ll miss the buss if I don’t hurry”- she thought out loud walking towards to door to get her jacket.

-“I could take you” –he offered kindly, following her. And when the girl gave him a dirty look he simply shook his head –“no funny business, I promise. I wouldn’t risk anything knowing you have a knife in your purse. ” –he teased –“besides, I’d need to know where to pick you up” –he winked at her.

##########

They talked a little more on the ride to Mina’s apartment and a little more after he parked right outside her building.

-“So… when you wanna do this?” –the boxer asked, focusing all of his attention back to the girl.

Mina bit the inside of her lip before answering –“how about tomorrow? Will 7 pm be okay for you?” –she asked –“I know a great place with the best coffee in the city, the owner is a great friend of mine”.

Raditz gave her a small nod –“seven sounds great” –he added while the good-looking blonde got out of his car –“I’ll see you tomorrow” –he smiled and waited for her to get inside the building before leaving.

Mina got on the elevator fast, and hurried her way back to her apartment. And, as soon as she walked in, she closed the door and rested her back against it –‘did I seriously just agree to go on a date with him?’ –she asked herself.

She took a deep breath, unable to believe the unexpected turn of events and decided to go to the living room and relax a little. The moment she was close to the couch, she threw her bag on top of it and sat down.

Last night had been wearisome, and to say the truth she barely had any sleep thanks to her idiot ex-boyfriend. She furrowed her brows then, how did she manage to put up with all his bullshit for so long?

She got up from the couch and grabbed the phone from the charging station, immediately dialing a phone number.

-“Juvian Delights, how can I help you?” –said a soft voice on the other side of the line.

-“Hi, it’s Mina. I have a big problem” –she sighed frantically.

-“What’s wrong, honey?” –the voice asked worriedly.

-“I have a date tomorrow at your coffee shop”.

The other girl chortled –“how is that a problem? You know you and Kunzite are more than welcome to come here any–”

-“Mal and I broke up” –she interrupted the other girl.

-“Oh” –was the only thing she heard, and then there was a long, uncomfortable silence until she was able to speak again –“well, what happen? Are you okay?”.

-“Yeah, you know. The usual” –she exhaled –“I found the girl in my bathroom and, well, I just couldn’t take it anymore, Mako”.

-“Again?” -the voice asked surprised –“I gotta say I’m happy you finally dumped his sorry ass, honey. I’m sorry, but I just can’t understand why you were still with him after everything he did to you”.

-“I know” –she sighed beaten, sitting down on the couch once again.

-“Enough about that, why don’t you tell me about this big date of yours?” –asked the cheerful girl.

Mina managed to laugh nervously –“well, I barely met him. He’s really tall, and very good-looking. He’s got dark, long hair… that I swear it’s almost as long as Usagi’s is!” –she giggled –“he’s also extremely fit and that body is just...” –she stopped then and moved her hand to fan herself –“you wouldn’t even believe me if I told you how hot he is” –she laughed.

-“Sounds like your perfect man” –the other girl teased.

-“Please don’t say that” –the blonde rolled her eyes –“but I wanted to ask you if it was okay if we go to your coffee shop?”.

-“Of course it is!” –she snorted –“you don’t even have to ask”.

-“Thanks, Mako” –she smiled –“you’re the best”.

-“I know. Besides, I really wanna meet this new guy” –she teased –“what time is your date? I wanna make sure I’m here”.

##########

The next morning, Raditz got up as early as he always did. He unconsciously checked his phone for any missed calls, surprised by the weird feeling of disappointment inside of him when she didn’t call again. It wasn’t like he really cared anyways…

He got out of bed and started his routine, like he did every morning. He took a shower, cooked breakfast and poured himself a big glass of his super powerful green juice, mixed with all the supplements and vitamins he needed.

His phone went off then, and he picked it up almost immediately. The small smile gradually disappearing from his lips once he saw the name on the screen –“yeah?” –he asked.

-“Son, are you busy right now?” –asked the man, his voice a little shaky.

-“No, I just had breakfast. Something wrong, father?”.

-“I have a problem with my car. You, uh, think you could come pick me up?”.

He took a deep breath and brushed his hair with his free hand in annoyance –“where are you?” –he asked as calm as possible.

##########

A few hours later, Raditz was parking his car in the parking lot behind the gym.

He’d definitely need at least 2 sparring sessions to help him relax a little. Or maybe he should go for an actual run rather than using that damned machine.

He got out of the car and grabbed his gym bag to walk to the entrance door.

-“Good morning” –he was greeted by the boy in the counter.

Raditz acknowledge him with a slight nod. He was not in the mood to deal with him and his annoying, nonstop conversation. But most importantly, he wondered why he was still working there. He definitely needed to have a talk to his brother about this guy.

He walked straight to the locker room and got ready to begin with his training schedule, like he did every single day.

Once he was done, a few hours later, he got on the ring with Vince, one of the guys he usually trained with. Both made sure they had their gloves on tight enough before starting the match.

Goku joined them a few minutes later, holding two bottles of water and a towel for each of them. He noticed Vince looked extremely tired; it almost seemed to him like he was exhausted, something very unusual of him. –“Hey, Raditz” –he called him –“why don’t you guys take a break?” –he asked, glancing at the other guy as he furrowed his brows.

Both boxers agreed that a break might be a good idea, and they stepped down from the ring. Vince walked back to the locker room, while Raditz joined his brother and thanked him for the cold water bottle he offered.

-“How are you feeling?” –Goku asked carefully, he knew something was wrong right away.

-“Alright” –was the only thing he said, throwing the bottle back to his younger brother. He then turned around and walked towards the treadmill, not wanting to miss any chance to continue with his training.

Goku followed him then, and he remained quiet for a little until he finally opened his mouth again –“you look very tense today”.

The boxer grunted in annoyance as he turned off the settings on the machine and made his way to the opposite side of the gym. -“Wait, Raditz” –his younger brother tried to follow him again.

-“What do you want?” –he barked, turning around to face him.

-“Woah, what’s wrong?” –Goku asked, furrowing his brows and staring at him with a confused look on his face.

Raditz sighed in annoyance and brushed a hand on his hair –“dad called me this morning”.

-“You saw him?” –he asked worriedly –“is everything okay?”.

The boxer shook his head and groaned once again as he crossed his arms and rested his back against the wall.

##########

It was exactly 6:20 in the afternoon when Mina finally made it back to her apartment after work.

She was convinced now that she shouldn’t have offered to help Josie proofread her article before handing it to Jeff.

_And why in the hell did she schedule her stupid date at 7 pm?_

Mina hurried to her bedroom and opened her closet door to find a cute outfit she could wear.

She stopped on her tracks right then and there as she realized what she had thought. She _wanted_ to look _good_? It was just coffee, nothing more. It wasn’t like this was going to be a _real_ date or anything like that! So why was she worried about what she was going to wear?

The reporter rolled her eyes then, and decided to take a quick shower. It will definitely help her relax so she could deal with that insufferable, cocky, and extremely good-looking boxer.

She smiled a little at herself.

Sure, that guy was a cocky son of a bitch with a very terrible attitude, but he was definitely the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes on. And as odd as it sounded, even to her, he was intriguing enough to make her a little interested.

Besides, wouldn’t this make it the best opportunity to get more detailed information for her article? Now that was definitely going to impress her boss, and she was very likely to get Violet’s job sooner than she thought.

She grabbed a towel to dry herself once she was done with her shower, and then turned on her straightener to fix her hair a little. She put on her favorite lavender dress and picked a sweater to keep her warm.

Her phone went off when she was finished applying a little make up.

-“Yeah?” –he answered.

-“Hey, I forgot to ask what your apartment number is, but I’ll wait for you down here” –said the voice on the other side of the line.

-“I’ll be right there” –she said before hanging up to make sure she had everything she needed in her bag, and then made her way out.

Mina got on the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor.

Once she was outside, she was greeted by the undeniably handsome boxer leaning against his black car. She caught him eyeing her as she moved closer, and she couldn’t deny that the smirk on his lips really looked good on him.

-“Hey” –was the only thing he said, moving to the opposite side of his car so he could get the door for her.

-“Thank you” –she smiled, getting a quick glance of him and convincing herself that he looked even better without his usual training clothes –“you look different” –she teased.

-“And you look very pretty” -he said, close to her ear, as he closed the door for her and then moved to the other side to get on the driver’s seat. –“Well, where are we going?” –he asked as he buckled his seat belt.

##########

They parked across the street from the small coffee shop with a pink sign that read Juvian Delights.

-“It’s here” –the blonde pointed as she made her way towards the entrance.

-“Hello, welcome” –they were greeted by a tall and beautiful brunette, her light olive green eyes full of joy as she exchanged a look with the blonde girl and smiled broadly while grabbing the menus –“your table is over here” –she pointed to a small section of the coffee shop.

Mina shrugged her shoulders and smiled shyly at the way the boxer was looking at her while they followed the brunette to their assigned table.

-“Someone will be with you shortly” –the brunette grinned at the girl conspiratorially, as she offered them the menu and then walked away.

Mina rolled her eyes and shook her head as she tried to focus her attention on the coffee options printed on the menu.

Raditz was amused by her behavior and chose not to say anything but just gazed at her. Was it possible that she seemed prettier with every second passing by?

-“The coffee here is really good” –she commented indifferently.

-“Isn’t that why we’re here?” –he teased, picking up the menu to finally check the options.

Mina frowned and looked up at him.

Raditz chuckled and lifted an eye brow when they made eye contact –“it was your idea, although I gotta say I’m flattered that you called and made a reservation” –he teased.

The blonde rolled her eyes, her cheeks slightly blushed –“I told you the owner is a good friend of mine” –she said scornfully, picking up the menu and hiding her face behind it.

-“Did you also asked for these small candles?” –he pointed at them –“you should’ve told me this was gonna be a _romantic_ place” –he teased.

Mina dropped the menu on the table –“and you should’ve told me you were gonna complain about everything” –her frowned deepened a little –“I knew this was a bad idea” –she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

-“Someone’s a little irritated tonight” –he lifted a single brow.

The girl was silent for a few seconds, and sighed –“I had a very long day” –she shook her head and grabbed the menu once again.

-“I’m sorry” –he finally said –“I was trying to be funny”.

Mina moved the menu so she could look at him –“alright” – she said when he gave her a weak smile –“why don’t we try this again?”- she suggested.

-“Hello, welcome” –they were interrupted by a young man with chestnut hair –“my name is Mike, I’m going to be your server tonight. Can I get you started with something to drink?” –he asked.

-“Can I get a vanilla latte with cinnamon” –she smiled.

-“I’ll get a cappuccino, extra hot”.

-“Of course, I’ll be back with your drinks” –the young waiter smiled and then walked away from their table.

The boxer only smiled, his eyes still focused on the girl sitting in front of him.

-“What?” –Mina asked, nervously furrowing her brows. She was beginning to feel a little intimidated by the intensity of his staring eyes.

-“Nothing” –he shook his head, allowing his back to rest against the chair.

The girl felt a slight blush on her cheeks and she found herself unable to break away from their eye contact.

-“Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself?” – Raditz asked.

Minako snorted at that –“there’s really not much to say about me” –she shrugged her shoulders –“I’m an only child, I graduated from the University of Columbia and I’ve been living in the city for a couple years now”.

Raditz didn’t say anything and just nodded slightly.

-“I don’t really have anything else to say” –she laughed nervously, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear –“I’m not good talking about myself”.

-“How can you be a reporter, then?” –he teased.

-“That’s different” –she sneered –“I guess I’ve always found that hard because it’s too personal” –she shrugged her shoulders and laughed a little –“it’s probably one of the reasons why I write for a paper”.

-“Is that really what you want?”.

Mina shrugged her shoulders again –“yeah, I think so” –she smiled –“what about you, is boxing really what you want?”.

-“Of course” –he nodded, his eyes still set on hers –“it’s always been what I wanted”.

Mina shook her head a little –“but what if –?”- she stopped herself before she finished the question.

-“If it doesn’t work?” –he lifted a brow at her.

-“That’s not what I meant” –she said, feeling stupid at the way she worded her question.

-“The truth is, I haven’t really thought about what I would do if this boxing thing doesn’t work” –he said –“I know I should have a backup plan, but I’m barely 25 years old” –he smiled half-heartedly –“I feel like my life barely started and, I don’t know, I just can’t imagine my life without doing what I really like”.

The girl smiled merrily at the way his eyes brighten up with his words –“I completely agree with you” –she rested her elbow on top of the table and held her chin with that hand –“how would our lives be if we weren’t allowed to do what we’re most passionate about?”.

-“I guess we wouldn’t be here tonight” –he smirked.

Mina rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the way her smile was widening on her lips. She was about to say something, but their waiter was back with their drinks.

-“Here you go. Is there anything else I can get for you?” –he asked after setting their coffee cups on the table.

-“No, we’re fine” –said the boxer.

-“Thank you” –Mina smiled.

There was an awkward silence then; each of them thinking about what else they could say, while sipping on their hot drinks.

-“What’s it like to be an older brother?” –she asked.

Raditz frowned a little at the unexpected question –“it’s horrible” –he shook his head –“I had to take care of little Goku at all times, and trust me it was wearisome” –he chuckled a little –“he would always get us in trouble, and I had to be responsible for everything he did”.

-“It shouldn’t have been that bad” –she smiled.

-“I guess we had some good times too” – he snorted –“but I swear I feel like he’s still a little boy” –he grunted.

-“Why do you say that?”. -“You’d have to know him to really understand why I say it” –he said, taking a drink of his coffee.

-“Isn’t he the guy I talked to the other day at the gym?” –she asked.

-“You only saw him for a few seconds”.

-“But he seemed so nice and–”.

-“Of course” –he snorted –“he’s always very positive and overly energetic” –he rolled his eyes –“one day you’ll see what I’m talking about”.

With nothing else left for her to say, she only gave him a slight nod of her head.

-“So, why did you move in here?” –he asked, trying to change the topic of their conversation.

-“You’re kidding me?” –she furrowed her brows –“if you ever want to be anyone in the world of journalism, you better make a name for yourself here in New York City”.

-“I guess that’s not just for journalism”.

-“Maybe you’re right” –she smiled –“besides, I really didn’t wanted to be a burden to Rei and her family anymore, so I decided it was time to move on on my own” –she sighed.

-“Rei?” –he asked confusedly.

Mina nodded slightly, not really sure about wanting to continue with what she was saying –“my mother died when I was 10” –she gulped, looking down at the cup of coffee she was holding with both hands –“I was living with one of my aunts in Japan, but then she got very sick” –she paused to take a small drink of coffee –“my best friend, Rei, convinced her grandfather to take me in and I lived with them until I graduated from High School” –she smiled wearily and looked up at him shyly –“I got a scholarship for college and I managed to pay my dorm’s rent with what I had left of what my parents left me and the money I made working at the school’s cafeteria and a part time job at a bookstore on the weekends. I packed my things again after graduation and, well, here I am”.

Raditz nodded a little.

-“Of course I had to sell my car to afford a place to live here” – she sighed –“the first year wasn’t easy at all, but I was lucky enough to get a job at the Orange Times and then I moved to a nicer neighborhood” –she smiled half-heartedly.

-“You’ve managed to get everything you wanted”.

-“Not everything” –she sighed, turning her attention to her coffee mug once again –“but I guess there’s a time for everything”.

Raditz nodded again, smiling as he gazed at her –“your ex-boyfriend was blind?” –he asked –“or was he retarded or something?”.

She looked up at him, a confused look on her face as she clumsily shook her head.

-“I just find it hard to believe that there’s someone stupid enough to cheat on a girl like you”.

Mina felt her cheeks blush a little and she rolled her eyes –“yeah, well I was stupid enough to forgive him multiple times” –she smiled embarrassedly.

The boxer clenched his teeth, feeling strangely irritated –“multiple times?” –he frowned.

She nodded –“I really don’t want to talk about it”.

-“I understand” –he said, crossing his arms –“but hey, if you ever need anyone to beat him up” –he just shrugged his shoulders.

-“That won’t be necessary” –she chuckled –“but thanks for the offer” –she smiled sincerely.

The way she smiled at him at that exact moment, with such honesty and candidness, convinced him that she was the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. –“You look prettier when you smile” –he couldn’t stop the words before they came out.

Mina rolled her eyes and shook her head.

-“I’m serious, Minako” –he said, waiting for her to make eye contact again –“you are very beautiful”.

Her cheeks were pink again and she couldn’t help but smile nervously –“wow, a boxer and a romantic. Lucky me” –she teased.

Raditz chuckled at that –“and I can be many other things” –he winked, making her blush a little more –“you can’t deny I’m the complete package”.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woah, I've been working on the other story and I completely forgot to update this one. Sorry!  
> Here you go!

As soon as she entered the gym, she was greeted by the annoying guy behind the counter, the one with the weird scar on his cheek.

-“Hello again, Miss Reporter” –he said with a big smile.

-“Yamcha” –she faked a small smile and kept walking towards the back of the gym.

-“Are you finally going to tell me your name?” –he started following her.

-“You don’t need to know” –she said uninterestedly, searching around the gym for a certain boxer.

-“Looking for Raditz again?”.

She furrowed her brows as she turned around to face him –“no, I’m here because I _really_ wanted to talk to you” –she snorted, a mocking smile on her lips.

-“Well, I’m glad to hear that” –he smirked.

Mina rolled her eyes in annoyance, ignoring him once again.

-“You know?” –he asked –“I joined a baseball team a few months ago, and we’re actually pretty good. Think you can write somethin’ about us?”.

##########

Raditz was in the middle of a sparring session on the ring, while his younger brother took care of other issues and, occasionally, he would watch him train to determine what he needed to improve in his techniques.

Goku was paying close attention to his brother’s moves when he suddenly noticed Yamcha walking towards the ring with the lovely reporter from the other day –“not again” –he said, furrowing his brows and holding his weight against the ropes.

His brother overheard him and slightly moved towards his corner. -“Something wrong?” – he asked.

The younger of the two shook his head, his attention focused on the beautiful blonde –“it’s that reporter again” –he grunted.

The boxer turned around to look at who he was referring to, slightly leaning his back against the ropes.

-“I told her to come back another day, but I didn’t think she was actually going to” –he sighed –“sorry, I uh” –he itched the back of his neck –“I’ll ask her to leave”.

-“Hold on” –he stopped him –“I’ll take care of it” –he added, taking his boxing gloves off.

Goku furrowed his brows once again –‘this won’t end good’ –he thought, following his unpredictable brother with his eyes.

##########

-“So, whaddayasay?” –Yamcha asked with his best come-hither smile –“wanna go check it out one of these days?”.

Mina was about to say something, when she noticed Raditz walking towards them and couldn’t help but feel relieved.

-“Can I help you?” –Raditz asked, crossing his arms, a serious look on his face as he gave the kid with the scar a tiny nod to hint him to leave.

-“I’ll see you later” –Yamcha told her before he left.

Raditz motioned for her to follow him and they stopped by the bench that was close to the locker rooms.

Minako couldn’t help but notice the way his sweat made his hair stick to his neck and forehead, and she was trying her best to ignore the fact that he was basically _only_ wearing a pair of training shorts.

-“You couldn’t wait to see me again, huh?” –he grinned.

She rolled her eyes annoyingly, picking up one of the white towels on top of the bench and quickly throwing it at him –“I have an article to write, and you still need to answer some of my questions” –she said, taking out her notepad as she sat down.

Raditz chuckled as he wiped the sweat off his neck.

-“You mentioned the other night that no one cared about you until you fought Joey Santini” –she looked up from her notes –“what did you mean by that?”.

-“Trainers and private clubs sent me offers to join them” –he shrugged his shoulders –“Santini was the best at the time, and no one could believe that a kid that young was able to beat him”.

She nodded and wrote down a few things on her notepad.

-“What are you doing later?” –he asked casually.

Mina looked up from her notes -“I’m working” –she smiled, looking down at her notes once again –“what do you consider to be the best moment of your career?”.

-“The moment I agreed to my first interview” –he smirked.

She shook her head in amusement. She could try denying it all she wanted, but she was honestly enjoying this new side of him –“I’m serious” –she rolled her eyes.

-“So am I”.

-“What motivates you to be the best?” –she asked as professional as she could; suddenly finding it a little harder to concentrate on the questions.

-“Have dinner with me tonight and I’ll tell you” –he grinned, wrapping the towel around his neck.

-“Ugh, that’s not fair” –she rolled her eyes.

-“It is if you wanna keep asking questions” –he chuckled.

-“Let me guess, you’re also gonna tell me it’s the only way of getting you to answer more questions” –she snorted, rolling her eyes one more time when he nodded –“fine, I’ll have dinner with you”.

-“Oh come on, I can’t be that intolerable if you keep looking for me” –he lifted a single brow.

-“How else am I supposed to finish my article?” –she groaned, making the boxer chuckle a little.

-“Do you mind waiting while I go change?” –he asked, getting up as soon as the girl nodded. –“What, you’re not following me this time?” –he teased.

She grunted something to herself, and quickly made her way out of that damned gym.

##########

He took a quick shower, and was almost done putting clean clothes on when his younger brother walked in.

-“So she managed to convince you, huh?” –he asked, full of suspicion.

-What are you talking about?” –Raditz protested.

Goku chuckled a little and he crossed his arms, leaning his back against the wall –“she’s really pretty” –he said –“think you can ask her if she wants to go out with me when you’re done with your interview?” –he grinned.

Raditz didn’t say anything, but his body language did all the talking, and Goku couldn’t help but laugh at the way he tensed and grunted, making his way out of the locker room.

-“You know something?” –his younger brother asked as they left the locker room –“I didn’t think you were ever going to do it, but I’m glad you’re finally going out with someone” –he smiled.

The boxer was about to say something when he noticed the way Yamcha kept getting closer to the girl, clearly trying his best to flirt with her. And he was definitely not happy to see that.

Noticing the way his brother was glaring daggers at the kid in the front desk, Goku couldn’t help himself and he leaned closer to Raditz –“you should warn him that you’re going out with her” –he grinned again.

-“I’m not going out with her, you idiot!” –he grunted, walking away as quickly as possible.

-“Got any plans for this weekend?” –Yamcha was asking her, and it took Raditz every ounce of self-control he had left not to put him through the wall and tell him to stay away from her –“hey” –he said –“sorry for making you wait”.

-“It’s fine” –she smiled at him–“sorry, I’m really busy” –she told Yamcha before leaving.

Raditz glared at him infuriated and walked away, following the girl.

Everyone in the gym was surprised to see him leave with her, and even more when it seemed like he was guiding her to the parking lot.

-“I don’t think I’ve actually thanked you for doing this” –Mina said quietly as they were walking.

-“I didn’t really had a choice” –he looked at her from the corner of his eye.

-“Yeah”- she snickered –“I guess you’re right” –she shrugged her shoulders –“but I’m really starting to believe I’ll never finish my story”.

Raditz smirked and stop in front of a motorcycle, picking up the black helmet and offering it to the girl.

She furrowed her brows as she carefully took the helmet with both hands, staring at it intently as if she was waiting for it to say something.

-“Got any problems with safety?” –he chuckled, crossing his arms.

-“Not at all” –she sighed –“it’s just that –“.

Raditz moved closer to her before she could continue and carefully held her chin to tip her face up, making her look at him –“you got nothing to worry about, _baby_ ” – he assured her with a smile, letting go of her face but still holding her gaze –“I promise I’ll be careful”.

She timidly wet her lips when she felt her mouth went dry at the way he kept looking at her, and clumsily placed the helmet on her head –“what happened to your car?” –she asked.

The boxer sat on his bike, removing it from its stand, and placed the key in the ignition. He was mentally beating himself for what he said without thinking, but he was glad that she didn’t seemed to mind. –“My father had a problem with his car, and he’s using mine” –he said getting the bike ready for the ride –“sit here” –he pointed at the section behind him –“hold onto me as hard as you can”.

Mina did as she was told, heatedly blushing when she wrapped her arms around him.

-“You ready?” –he asked.

When she felt that they were moving, she couldn’t help but wrap her arms around him tighter; holding herself against him like her life depended on that. Because it felt like it did.

They made their way through the streets and some traffic, and Mina relished in the way his warm body felt that close to hers; the sight of his beautiful, naked chest still fresh in her mind, having no problem imagining how his skin would feel like underneath his clothes.

-“You okay, _baby_?” –he asked when they stopped at a red light. Mentally beating himself once again for using _that_ damned word again.

-“Y-yeah” –she nodded nervously, realizing that her eyes had been closed and that her cheek was resting on his back. And she couldn’t help but feel that she was hugging herself close to him, rather than holding onto him like he had told her to. How did she not realize that before!?

They moved once the light turn green, but a red light started flashing in her mind. Just where exactly was he taking her? Raditz had only said something about dinner, but surely they weren’t heading back to his apartment, where they? And why was she suddenly feeling so nervous?

Sure, they went out the night before and yeah, it was surprisingly a pleasant evening. Maybe now he was expecting something else and that was why they were…. Wait, what if he was taking her somewhere dark and creepy?

-‘Stop being so silly’ –she told herself. Since when did she felt so intimidated over something as simple as dinner? But then again, what if he was actually expecting _something_ in return? After all, this was an exclusive interview that no one else was getting.

They finally stopped in neighborhood Mina had never been in before.

Raditz helped her get off the bike, smiling lightly when their eyes met.

Mina removed the helmet and gave it back, turning around to look at all the buildings. Just where exactly where they?

-“This way” – he said, pointing to a small diner next to a big and ugly light green building.

-“Where are we going?” – she finally asked.

-“Here” –he stopped in front of the door, holding it open for her –“after you”.

-“Thanks”.

-“Raddy, is that you?” –said a lovely old lady walking towards them –“oh, it’s so nice to see you here!” –she smiled, embracing him for a few moments before informing them that they could sit wherever they wanted.

Mina smiled at the cute pet name and she sat at the booth Raditz picked. She looked around the diner, it was very homey, and it looked slightly smaller than what she expected. But it definitely smelled delicious!

-“Here you go, sweetheart” – said the lovely old lady, handing her the menu and then she looked at the handsome boxer –“how’s your dad doing?” –she asked worriedly –“I heard he’s been having some problems again”.

-“He’s doing better, thanks for asking, Glendis” – he smiled genuinely; unable to hide the pain in his eyes.

The old lady said something else, but Mina stopped listening without realizing it. She was still lost in that moment, in that pain she saw in his eyes and the way he smiled so frankly, so full of emotions. How did he managed to show no emotions at all when it was clear he had so many? And then she wondered why they were there. But most importantly, was this just dinner or was it another date?

-“Found anything you like?” –he asked, forcing her out of her thoughts.

Mina felt her cheeks blush when she realized she had been staring at him the entire time.

Raditz smiled softly when she turned her attention to the menu, and for the first time he thought that maybe she was interested in him. And to be honest, that was one of the reasons why they were there. –“This has always been one of my favorite places” –he said, taking a look at the menu –“Glendis is an excellent cook” –he nodded towards the old lady.

-“And what are you having?” –she asked.

-“Well” –he placed the menu on top of the table, and slowly looked her up and down –“that depends” –he smiled.

She suddenly felt small under his intense gaze, and she lick her lips nervously before she asked –“on what?”.

-“Do you have to leave soon?”.

For a second there she thought he was suggesting something else, but she simply shrugged her shoulders –“I got time”.

Raditz smirked when he caught the light blush on her cheeks –“then I’ll have a _knish_ ”.

She furrowed her brows –“a what?”.

-“A _knish_ ”.

Minako kept that confused look on her face –“I have no idea what that is”.

-“I forgot you’re not from around here” –he chuckled.

-“I thought it wasn’t that obvious” –she shrugged.

-“Well” –he looked into her cerulean eyes –“a girl like you certainly won’t go unnoticed” –he said with his best come-hither smile. Or was it the panty-dropping smile?

Mina felt her mouth going dry once again and forced herself to break eye contact, grabbing the menu and pretending to read the options. There was no way she was going to let him get to her, no matter how incredibly attractive he was.

Raditz chuckled softly at her reaction, it was better than he expected. He was convinced that Minako was a very interesting girl, a beautiful and very interesting girl. But this was the first time she seemed so nervous, and that was a little surprising. Sure, he was used to that, after all he hadn’t had a serious relationship in years but what if she truly was interested in him and not just her silly interview?

##########

-“Your parents didn’t support you with this?” –she asked after they were done eating.

Raditz let a small sigh out –“my mother died after I turned 5”.

-“You were so young” – she furrowed her brows, understanding the pain he went through –“what about your father?”.

He shrugged his shoulders –“he lost it after that, we had to figure it out on our own for a few years but then he came back. And that’s when I joined the boxing club and began with my training”.

-“What do you mean?” –she asked.

He stared at her for a moment, without saying anything.

-“I’m so sorry” –she shook her head –“you really don’t have to answer that, I was just –“

-“My father didn’t take my mother’s death that good” –he interrupted her –“one night he just walked away without saying anything, I spent years wondering why he abandoned us” –he paused to clear his throat –“I was able to get a small job to take care of my brother, and Glendis” –he nodded towards the old lady serving one of the tables close to them –“offered us a place to stay” –he smiled half-heartedly –“father came back a few years later and we worked things out. Then we were able to get enough money to open up our own gym”.

-“So it’s yours?” –she asked, taking notes on her small notepad.

-“Just the one where I train” –he nodded –“father kept the other”.

Mina nodded and finished up writing her notes.

-“One night he got in a stupid bar fight” –he chuckled as he remembered that fight –“I had to step in and fucking save him” – he rolled his eyes –“that’s when he realized that I was doing the right thing, and convinced me to really focus on my training” –he shrugged his shoulders –“and I guess that answers your earlier question”.

-“Something like that” –she smiled before looking down on her notes once again.

Raditz brushed his hands on his hair uncomfortably –“this is the first I talk about that” –he cleared his throat.

Minako looked up from her notes and when he was about to grab his coffee mug, she reached over the table to hold his hand softly –“sometimes you gotta vent” –she gave his hand a slight squeeze –“you had a tough life, but you were able to move on and nothing stopped you” – she smiled kindly –“you should be proud of yourself, and everything you’ve achieved” –she added, before letting go of his hand.

The boxer didn’t say anything and he only stared at her, relishing in the way her cerulean eyes were looking at him. It wasn’t pity what he saw in them, maybe it was understanding? Or perhaps, acceptance?

The girl looked down to her notes and ripped off the sheet with all her notes –“I don’t have to add that to the article” –she said softly, shrugging her shoulders when their eyes met.

Raditz smiled half-heartedly, visibly relaxing and resting his back against the chair.

##########

They asked for the bill after the second cup of coffee and Raditz paid for both of them, ignoring Minako’s insistent pleas to pay for her half of the bill.

-“Seriously, don’t worry about it” –he shook his head –“I already paid for it”.

Minako furrowed her brows, this was the only way she could make sure it wasn’t a date –“but–“ –she tried to complain, taking a few bills from her wallet.

-“Put that away. Now” – he warned her, pointing at her wallet.

-“But–“

-“I don’t want your money” –he shrugged his shoulders –“I invited you, so I paid for everything. It’s that simple”.

Mina took a deep breath and shoved her money back into her wallet –“fine, thank you”.

Raditz nodded victorious as they waited for the change.

##########

-“Thanks again” –she said when they were walking back to the bike –“I never thought I could find anyone that could cook as good as my friend Mako”.

-“I told you, Glendis is an excellent cook”.

-“You really didn’t have to pay for me, Raditz”.

He turned his attention to her –“why are you so worried about it?” –he asked –“there’s nothing wrong about it”.

-“No, I know” –she said –“I just, I don’t know, you paid for my coffee the other day and it’s just a little uncomfortable” –she shrugged her shoulders, hoping that was enough explanation.

Raditz shook his head –“didn’t your boyfriend ever take you out to eat?” –he teased.

-“Sure, a few times but I–“ –she stopped, a slight blush creeping on her cheeks. And did he really just ask that?

-“He made you pay for food?” –he furrowed his brows.

Minako bit the inside of her lip nervously as she nodded –“he didn’t force me to pay though”.

The boxer took a deep breath and massaged his forehead with his fingers –“that idiot really didn’t deserve you” – he grunted –“now I understand why you feel so uncomfortable”.

-“No, it’s not that” – she said –“it’s just that, now I feel like I owe you something” –she smiled nervously –“yeah, I know it sounds weird”.

-“That’s what you’re worried about?” –he furrowed his brows, trying his best not to laugh at how silly that sounded.

She didn’t say anything and just shrugged her shoulders.

-“I really don’t understand why you would even say that” –he shook his head amused, and took a step closer to her –“but, if that really troubles you then how should we fix this?” –he asked. And as soon as she opened her mouth to say something, he placed a finger on her soft lips to stop her –“I’m not taking your damned money”.

Mina gulped nervously and took a step back to get away from his warm touch.

Raditz chuckled and took another step closer to her, tipping her chin up with his thumb to look her in the eye –“tell you what” –he said –“how about a kiss?”

Her eyes opened wide in disbelief. _He really just said that!?_

The boxer smirked when he caught a glimpse of interest in her eyes, and he noted the way that beautiful shade of pink covered her cheeks.

Minako was still trying to process what he just said, and she was surprised to feel every part of her body pleading to accept his proposal right there and then. Just when did she stop being a reporter to be a simple girl? She could lose her job for this! Okay, fine. No one was going to find out, but she was there to finish her interview, right? This wasn’t supposed to be another date.

-“So, whaddayasay?” -he leaned a little closer, tenderly caressing her chin with his thumb.

She had so much to lose, but no matter how hard she tried she was unable to find a good reason to say no. And she finally nodded –“I- I guess that, uh–that would be fair” –she said, nervously licking her lips.

Raditz smiled as he carefully wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer –“yeah” –he said, grabbing the back of her head and gazing at her beautiful eyes –“I guess it would be” –he added, slowly pressing his lips to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think about my silly story?
> 
> Oh, by the way. I know you guys probably don't care, but I went to a convention on Halloween and had a lot of fun. My boyfriend and I dressed up as Goku and Chi Chi! I got a bunch of compliments on my costume, and some people were so happy because it was the first time they saw someone cosplaying Chi Chi. Cool, huh?  
> I'm still hoping to find those pictures somewhere! But yeah, thanks for reading :)


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